Planned Development Services

In a scene from the movie “Office Space,” software company Initech brings in hilarious, generic consultants (“the Bobs”) to help soften the blow of corporate outsourcing and layoffs, and sends out an ominous corporate memo in advance. “You have to interview with this consultant,” worker bee Tom Smykowski warns his buddies, Peter, Michael, and Samir. “They call them efficiency experts, but what you’re really doing is interviewing for your own job.” Corporate silliness is played to an extreme – for a lot of laughs – in this late-90s cult classic.

In the real world, the most effective businesses and organizations know that when they’re running into internal problems that seem unsolvable, turning to a third party of actual experts can be their smartest move.

Whether HOAs are stymied by the roadblocks of personality clashes, a lack of expertise on the board, or almost any other conflict, turning to the Community Associations Institute (CAI) can be a sanity-saver. CAI is an international organization whose “mission is to inspire professionalism, effective leadership and responsible citizenship, ideals reflected in communities that are preferred places to call home.” The group is something of a one-stop shop for community associations, providing professional development courses (and professional designations), education programs for volunteer leaders, special events and conferences, networking opportunities, service provider directories, advocacy at the state and national level, and a huge, Web-based library of research and resources.

Of course, you can additionally turn to experts within your own community. Maybe there is a management pro who’s also a homeowner, and you could approach that person to volunteer (link to volunteer blog) and offer their expertise to the community. There is also a host of great leadership and interpersonal communication advice available at any bookstore – we even try to post some helpful problem-solving tips for HOAs here (link to peaceful HOA blog here). Regardless of where you look, know that there are resources available within and without the community management industry, and it’s always better to bring in help when it’s needed.